laughter

Psalm 37

Of David.

¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
² for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth at them;
¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.

(Psalm 37: 1-13, NIV)

Psalm 59

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him.

¹Deliver me from my enemies, O God;
    be my fortress against those who are attacking me.
² Deliver me from evildoers
    and save me from those who are after my blood.

³ See how they lie in wait for me!
    Fierce men conspire against me
    for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
⁴ I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.
    Arise to help me; look on my plight!
⁵ You, Lord God Almighty,
    you who are the God of Israel,
rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
    show no mercy to wicked traitors.

⁶ They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,
    and prowl about the city.
⁷ See what they spew from their mouths—
    the words from their lips are sharp as swords,
    and they think, “Who can hear us?”
⁸ But you laugh at them, Lord;
    you scoff at all those nations.

(Psalm 59: 1-8, NIV)

Psalm 2

¹ Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?
² The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
³ “Let us break their chains
    and throw off their shackles.”

⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ He rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
⁶ “I have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.”

⁷ I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;
    today I have become your father.
⁸ Ask me,
    and I will make the nations your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹ You will break them with a rod of iron;
    you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

(Psalm 2: 1-9, NIV)

As you read these three passages of Scripture, what pattern do you see? One common theme that I see is that the psalmists who wrote these passages were facing a troubled world, full of evil doers and enemies.  Nations conspiring nations and rulers plotting to gain power. The wars and dishonest rulers of today’s world are nothing new; they have existed since the beginning of creation. But more importantly, what I see is that the LORD laughs at these at these rulers, because He is the LORD over all nations and all rulers. This was true in the days of the psalmists, and it is true today.  There will always be times of devastation caused by natural events such as violent storms, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and devastation caused by evil rulers who declare war on innocent people and nations only to increase their power and gain more wealth for themselves.

However, as Christians, even in times of loss, we have hope.  Jesus has promised to return and restore His creation with a new heaven and a new Earth.  And those who believe in Jesus will also be restored with a new body.  Because Jesus was resurrected three days after He died on the cross for the redemption of all our sins, we too will be resurrected to live with Jesus for eternity. Take comfort and have hope in these words from the apostle John: Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4, NIV)

This is the Good News!  People need to hear this good news.  Now more than ever it is so important for believers to share the good news. And did you know that laughter is actually good for your body? Laughter is like internal jogging, especially when you are watching a comical show that causes you to laugh out loud! Laughter is good for your heart.  Twenty seconds of vigorous laughing can equal three minutes of vigorous rowing as both actions double the heart rate.  This results in improved breathing and more effective oxygenation of the blood. Laughter reduces the release of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine while increasing the release of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. Laughter enhances the immune system, increases pain tolerance, and relieves stress by reducing the level of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood.

The world has always been troubled.  In Genesis, the first chapter of the Bible there are countless stories of troubled families and conflicts among different nations and tribes. So, if you feel overwhelmed by circumstances in today’s world, remember these words of comfort that Jesus spoke to his disciples:

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. “(John 14:1-4; 16-18)

In closing, be blessed by this worship song by Shane & Shane.

You’ve Already Won